Woodbine roundup: Reigning champ Moira runs off in Canadian

Moira, Canada’s reigning horse of the year, rocketed away from her rivals en route to an emphatic score in Saturday’s Grade 2, US$146,418 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine. 

The Canadian, about a 1 1/8-mile turf race, went postward with six fillies and mares.

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Miss Dracarys, fresh off an impressive score, her third straight victory, in the Dance Smartly (G2), powered to the front under Dylan Davis. The 3-5 choice Fev Rover, last year’s Canadian winner who came into the race off a sensational triumph in the Beverly D. (G1), shadowed the pacesetter to the outside followed by Skims, Ready Lady, Moira and Atomic Blonde through an opening panel in 24.65 seconds.

It was status quo through a half-mile in 48.25 seconds. Miss Dracarys and Fev Rover continued their chess match on the front end, and Rafael Hernandez, aboard Moira, watched the lead pair from in fifth. 

Miss Dracarys, still on top as the six-pack navigated the turn for home, was engaged to her outside by Fev Rover. But it was Moira, last year’s Queen’s Plate victress, in full flight who swooped past the leaders with eye-catching ease and assumed control. 

Ahead by four lengths at the stretch call, the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper continued to pour it on, going on to a 6 1/4-length win in a time of 1:46.04 over good ground. Skims was second, Atomic Blonde third and Fev Rover fourth. Ready Lady and Miss Dracarys followed in that order.

It was the first win since the tough-as-nails bay won the Plate, an emotional victory for her connections, including Hernandez and trainer Kevin Attard.

“I just want to tell you guys, ‘Guess who is back? Moira,’ ” Hernandez said. “When she started warming up in the post parade, she started dancing and that’s it. ... They weren’t going to beat her today. She’s 100 percent. She was just playing around in the back yard that she knows. When she turned for home I let her switch her lead and said, ‘Come on baby, do what you know what to do.’ And she showed up today. Every time I ride her, it’s not just another horse. She has a special place in my heart.”

Attard was visibly moved when speaking of the Adena Springs-bred miss, now a graded-stakes winner.   

“She is a very special horse,” said Attard, who had watched Moira finish second, including in the Nassau (G2) and Dance Smartly (G2), in her three previous 2023 starts. “It was a little disappointing at the start. She just had some hard racing luck. Last time she put it together and had a good trip, just kind of ran out of ground. She looks probably the best she’s ever looked. She’s trained well, and it’s just so satisfying to see her put it all together. Now we’re stretching out to distances where she is going to excel and show her true class.”  

Moira, sporting a record of 11: 5-4-0 for owners X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing, appears to be headed to the US$549,068 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on Oct. 8 at Woodbine. 

“Most definitely,” Attard said. “I’m pretty sure. I have bosses, but ‘wink-wink.’ ” 

Moir paid $7.90 for the win. 

Palazzi surges through stretch, wins Singspiel

Unhurried early under Sahin Civaci, Palazzi was full of run down the lane to take Saturday’s US$109,813 Pattison Singspiel Stakes (G3) run over 1 1/4 miles of Woodbine’s turf.

Collective Force broke sharply to take the lead followed by Dun Drum and Town Cruise. Civaci and Palazzi, who broke a step slowly, took up residence at the back of the pack in seventh through an opening quarter in 25.30 seconds. 

Collective Force was three lengths in front of Town Cruise through a half-mile in 49.36 second as Civaci maintained his patient hand aboard the Mark Casse-trained Palazzi.  

As the field worked its way into the turn for home, Collective Force was still on top but was soon pressured by Town Cruise and Malibu Mambo. The 6-5 choice Rockemperor on the outside and Palazzi along the rail began to pick up momentum. 

Malibu Mambo struck front in early stretch but was quickly engaged by both Rockemperor and Palazzi, who then made it a two-horse race midway down the lane with the latter emerging victorious by a half-length at a time of 2:02.26. Malibu Mambo was third and Dun Drum finished fourth. 

It was the third straight score and first graded victory for the Gary Barber-owned Palazzi, who is 23: 5-3-2.  

Bred by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing and Pioneerof the Nile Syndicate, the well-traveled 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile broke his maiden in his fifth start, at 15-1, in a one-mile turf race at Fair Grounds on Dec. 19, 2020. His first stakes success came in the 2021 Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston. 

Palazzi, the third choice on the board at 4-1, returned $10.50 for the win.